Source: Edward Berthelot / Getty
Any plans that Ye aka Kanye West might have on visiting Australia might be on hold as officials from that nation publicly suggest that he would be banned over his past antisemitic behavior.
According to reports, the artist has reportedly been eager to visit the country in recent days. The reasoning behind the potential trip is to visit the family of his new wife Bianca Censori who grew up in Melbourne. This has sparked conversation among members of the government who have suggested that Ye would be denied entry due to his recent antisemitic comments.
“People like that who’ve applied for visas to get into Australia in the past have been rejected,” Minister for Education Jason Clare said in an interview with local network Channel Nine. “I expect that if he does apply he would have to go through the same process and answer the same questions that they did.”
This was echoed by opposition leader Peter Dutton, who had been minister of immigration under the previous government. “His anti-Semitic comments are disgraceful, his conduct [and] his behavior are appalling,” Dutton told 3AW radio. “He’s not a person of good character and the minister has the ability to stop somebody coming into our country of bad character.”
Peter Wertheim, co-chief executive officer of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, met with the rest of the council members Tuesday (Jan. 24) to issue in writing their argument that they are opposed to Ye visiting. “We had a sympathetic hearing,” Wertheim said to reporters. “We’ve made the case that this particular individual does not meet the character test and that it would be in the national interest not to grant him a visa and we set out our reasons in some detail in that letter.”
There is precedent for Ye to be denied a visa by the Australian government over his comments and behavior, which falls under the purview of “good character.” Far-right figures have been denied visas, such as Proud Boys founder Gavin McInnes who was banned in 2018 after a public outcry including a petition signed by 81,000 people. According to the Australian Citizenship Policy and the Migrant Act of 1958, “good character” is defined as behaving in an ethical manner and by the rules of the nation’s society once a visitor arrives and during their stay.
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